Eraser is a Windows tool that allows you to securely remove files from your computers hard drive and securely wipe free space so as to remove the residual data of previously deleted files by overwriting with specially selected wiping paterns.

Eraser currently works with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Windows 2003 Server and DOS and supports FAT and NTFS formatted IDE/SATA/SCSI hard drives. Support for Vista was introduced in 5.83beta.

The software supports the scheduled wiping of files via its Scheduler console as well as on demand file wiping which can be done via an Explorer context menu or dragging files to the Eraser application. It can attempt to wipe locked files (e.g. index.dat files) after the next reboot by forcing a wipe before Windows takes control again.

Methodology

Eraser overwrites the filename for each deleted file with zeros up to the maximum filename length.

Supported wiping patterns include

Erase File

Erase Free Space

Gutmann

Gutmann

US DoD 5220.22-M (8-306 /E, C and E)

US DoD 5220.22-M (8-306 /E, C and E)

US DoD 5220.22-M (8-306 /E)

US DoD 5220.22-M (8-306 /E)

Pseudorandom Data

Pseudorandom Data

First and Last 2kb

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Schneier's 7 Pass

Schneier's 7 Pass

Authors

Eraser was originally developed by Sami Tolvanen and now maintained by Garrett Trant of Heidi Computers Ltd.